Prematurity Report Card Reveals Preterm Birth Rates Worsening

The numbers are in from the NCHS - for the first time in eight years, the preterm birth rate in the US has gotten worse. Is there anything that can be done?

Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics and presented in the March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card confirmed that the health of babies in the United States has taken a step backward as the nation's preterm birth rate worsened for the first time in eight years.

The U.S. preterm birth rate went up from 9.57 to 9.63 in 2015, according to final data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Across the country, preterm birth rates were nearly 48 percent higher among black women and more than 15 percent higher among American Indian/Alaska Native women compared to white women.

Check to see how your state/county ranked on the March of Dimes prematurity report card by following this link.

Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is the leading cause of death of babies in the U.S. Babies who survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays.

In addition to the human toll, preterm birth accounts for more than $26 billion annually in potentially avoidable medical and societal costs.

According to estimates published in the National Academy Medicine the annual societal economic burden associated with preterm birth in the United States was at least $26.2 billion in 2005, or $51,600 per infant born preterm.

"Americans lead the world in medical research and care, yet the U.S. preterm birth rate still ranks near the bottom of high-resource nations," Dr. Edward R.B. McCabe, March of Dimes Chief Medical Officer said. "We can do better by mobilizing resources and driving best practices and policies to ensure that no mother or baby falls through the cracks."

Dr. McCabe urged broader use of proven interventions in the most-challenged communities. Research proven strategies to prevent preterm birth include:

  • Introducing policies to lower the rate of elective delivery before 39 weeks.
  • Use of maternal progesterone supplementation.
  • Surgical closure of the cervix with cerclage.
  • Prevention of exposure of pregnant women to cigarette smoke.
  • Judicious use of fertility treatments.
  • Dedicated preterm birth prevention clinics.

"The 2016 March of Dimes Report Card demonstrates that there is an unfair burden of premature birth among specific racial and ethnic groups as well as geographic areas," says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "The March of Dimes strives for a world where every baby has a fair chance, yet we see this is not the reality for many mothers and babies. Babies in this country have different chances of surviving and thriving simply based on the circumstances of their birth."

Information published at the March of Dimes website notes that even if you do everything right during pregnancy, you can still have preterm labor and premature birth. It is important to learn the signs of preterm labor and what to do if they happen to you. If you do begin labor early, there are treatments that may help stop your labor or that could help prevent complications, as babies born prematurely are more likely to have health problems than babies born on time.

Individuals are encouraged to visit marchofdimes.org to learn more about prematurity and disparity in their own state; sign up to raise awareness on World Prematurity Day; and support programs and groundbreaking research addressing the causes of prematurity.

Photo credit: March of Dimes